Roller-bearing



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RDLLER BEARING.

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WITNESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)'

0. D. MENBELY. ROLLER BEARING.

No. 445,680. Patented Feb. 3, 1891-.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Genres.

CHARLES D. MENEELY, OF ALBANY, NEWV YORK.

ROLLER- BEARlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,680, dated February3, 1891.

Serial No. 364,526. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES D. MENEELY, of the city of Albany, county ofAlbany, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Roller-Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in roller-bearings; and myinvention has for its object to reduce the weight of the bearings and torender them more efficientfor the purposes for which they are used bydividing up and increasing the measure of their bearingsurfacerelatively tothe weight they have to sustain.

My invention consists (as will be more fully detailed hereinafter inconnection with its illustration) in the combination, with a bearing-boxand axle, of a series of tube' form rollers which in length are shorterthan the hearing proper, with said rollers arranged between thebearing-box and axle to be in axial alignment with the latter and placedso as to break joints at their ends and to lap past one another thereat,and two rods made to pass through each of the rollers that are in axialalignment with each other upon the interior and diametrically oppositesides of said rollers, and with one of said rods of each of the rollersin axial alignment also arranged to pass through one of the two rollersthat break joints thereat where adjacent, so as to interlock a series oftube-form rollers around the axle and between the latter and thebearingbox.

My invention also consists of certain details of construction,which willbe more fully set forth in the claims.

Accompanying this specification to form a part of it there are fourplates of drawings containing four figures illustrating my invention,with the same designation of parts by letter-reference used in all ofthem.

In these illustrations, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section takenthrough the bearing-box and sleeve, with the axle, the tube formrollers, and the rods shown in side ele vation. Fig. 2 is across-section taken through the bearing-box, the axle, alternatingtubeform rollers, and the rods by which the rollers are interlockedaround the axle, with the rollers back of those thus illustrated insection shown in end elevation. Fig. 3 is a lon gitudinal section takenthrough the axle, bearing-box, the end rollers at the top and bottom ofthe bearing-box, with one of the tubeform rollers where on top of theaxle and where below the latter shown in side elevation. Fig. 4. shows amodification in which the bearing-box is shown in central and1ongitudinal section, the axle and rollers being shown in sideelevation, with the centrallyplaced rollers of the bearing made longerthan the end rollers.

The several parts of the apparatus thus illustrated are designated byletter-reference, and the function of the parts is described as follows:

The letter B designates the bearing-box, and A the axle; E, the outerend of the bearingbox, and E its inner end, the latter being made with agroove g to allow for the move ment therein of a dust-guard (Zencircling the axle. The outer end or cap of the bearingbox is made witha recess 6 to receive the end of the axle.

The letters R designate tube-form rollers,

the axle, between the latter and the bearingbox, and also in alignmentwith each other. The letters R designate other tube-form ment with thelatter; but these rollers R are so placed relatively to the rollers Rthat the past the ends of the latter. These rollers R and R are madeshorter in length than the bearing proper, and are preferably made toeach have'thc same length; but, if desired,they maybe made of differentlengths, as shown at Fig. 4..

The letters I designate rods or spindles, of which there are two foreach of the rollers in alignment with each other. These rods or spindlesare arranged to pass through the rollers R from end to end of thebearing, and are so placed within the interior of said rollers as to beupon the inner and diametricallyopposite sides of the rollers inalignment with each other, and each of them to intermediately passthrough the rollers R where the ends of two of the latter rollers lappast the ends of the rollers B, so that two of said rods or spindlespass through such of the rollers as which are arranged in axialalignment with rollers that are arranged between the bearing -box andaxle, so as to be in axial align-= ends of the former will break jointsor lapare in alignment upon the inner and diametrically-opposite sidesthereof, and each of said two rods also passes through one of the tworollers R where lapping past the ends of the rollers R to thusalternatingly interlock or interweave the tube form rollers around theaxle, and between the latter and the bearing-box.

The letter S designates a sleeve that is arranged on the inner face ofthe bearing-box, and the letter J designates a shoulder formed on theaxle to make the latter where constituting the bearing proper smaller indiameter, and which shoulder serves to regulate and keep in position theend rollers of the bearing and to prevent their lateral movement on theaxle. Theletter D designates a ring that is formed on and secured to theouter end of the axle to keep the outer ends of the rollers in position.

The letters N designate rings that are secured to the axle, so as topass between the ends of the rollers R and R to prevent lateral movementof the rollers on the axle.

The letters F designate flanges produced on the outer ends of the rodsor spindles I to keep the rods in place.

With the rollers thus made in a tube form and arranged between the axleand bearingbox, said rollers being alternately interwoven by means ofthe rods to encircle the axle between the latter and the bearing-box,when the axle turns the rollers also turn, as well as the rods orspindles, with the latter acting to keep the rollers in alignment withthe axle with the rollers in position relatively to the axle, so thatthe weight upon the latter is sustained by more bearing-points than ifthe rollers extended from end to end of the bearing in one continuouspoint of contact.

While I have shown the length of the bearing part of the axle as dividedinto three parts consisting of the rollers R and the rollers R with oneof the latter and two of the former in length constituting the length ofthe bearing, if desired, the number of the tube-form rollers may beincreased, provided they are arranged to break joints or lap past eachother at their ends, with such of the rollers as are in alignment havingtwo rods or spindles which pass through the rollers on the inner anddiametrically-opposite sides thereof, and each of which rods also passesthrough each of the two rollers whose ends break joints therewith tothus interlace or interweave a series of rollers so placed around theaxle between it and the bearing-box.

I am aware that bearings made with solid rollers having journalsthereon, which latter were linked together by loose rings, but whichlatter were not constructed to bear upon the axle and did not answer thepurpose of rollers have been used.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with a bearing-box and axle, of a series oftube-form rollers that in length are shorter than the bearing-box, withsaid rollers arranged to be in axial alignment with the axle and tobreak joints or lap past each other at their inner ends, with rodsarranged to pass through said rollers to alternatingly interweave orinterlock said rollers around the axle between the latter and thebearing-box, substantially in the manner as and for the purposes setforth.

' 2. The combination, with a bearing-box and axle, of tube-form rollersthat in length are shorter than the bearingbox, with said rollersarranged to be in axial alignment with the axle and to break joints attheir inner ends, with two rods passing through each of the rollers thatare in alignment with each other, and alternatingly through each two ofthe rollers where breaking joints at the ends of the rollers inalignment with each other in connected series around the axle betweenthe latter and the bearing-box, substantially in the manner as and forthe purposes set forth.

The combination, with the axle A, made with the shoulder J and the endring D, of the bearing-box B, made with the sleeve S, the tube-formrollers R and R arranged between said bearing-box and axle,'so as to bein axial alignment with the latter, but to break joints and lap pasteach other at their ends, and the rods I, arranged to pass through saidrollers from end to end of the bearing, substantially in the manner asand for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the axle A, made with the shoulder J, the endring D, and rings M, of the bearing-box B, made with the sleeve S, thetube-form rollers R and R arranged between the bearing-box and axle, soas to be in axial alignment with the latter, but placed so as to breakjoints or lap past each other at their ends, and the rods I, made withthe end flanges F and arranged to pass through said rollers from end toend of the bearing, substantially in the manner as and for the purposesset forth.

Signed at Troy, New York, this 9th day of July, 1890, and in thepresence of the two witnesses whose names are hereto written.

CHARLES MENEELY.

Witnesses:

W. E. I-IAGAN, CHARLES S. BRINTNALL.

IOE

